Another cold one

Another sunny day, clouding up later, 3°, light SSW.

Snow still laying but appears to be slowly thawing.

6-8 Fieldfare and a couple of Redwing in the garden today and the Little Egret seen entering Cholsey Brook in the meadow this afternoon.

Some photos of yesterdays Lapwing and Common Snipe from yesterday, courtesy of Alan Dawson.

Redwings & Fieldfares

Sunny, 2°, light NW.

Snow still covering the area but only 3-4cm deep. Hopefully will disappear soon.

True to form Fieldfare and Redwing appeared in the garden today (usually the next day after snow) and attracted by apples and sultanas that we put out in this weather.

The Fieldfares are quite aggressive to any other bird that comes too near their piece of apple and chase them off, in particular Blackbirds.

A pair of Starling also paid a visit and spent some time feeding on fat balls. A scarce visitor to the garden.

c12 Common Snipe and up to 70 Lapwing in fields near Green Lane, Per Alan Dawson.

2 Grey Heron near the Bullshole. Per Bill Nicholls.

A female Brambling with Chaffinches near the Waterloo. Per Mike Amphlett.

Grey Herons (courtesy Bill Nicholls)

Snow cometh

Snow, 1°, light NNW.

After my reservations about snow falling locally. It did! Woke up this morning to 4-5cm of snow, so out in the garden at first light to put out extra food for the birds.

Then out for a walk after breakfast and quite heavy going in the snow.

Lollingdon was fairly quiet as would be expected. The usual stuff around and the Thrushes a bit sedentary just sat in the sheep fields not doing much at all.

A flock of Starling also present and much more active with some sitting on the backs of the sheep, possibly hoping to find food in the shape of a tick or two?

A Treecreeper on the wooded side of the hill and another in the Millennium Wood.

Could not find the Stonechats but they may well still be in the area?

And the usual Little Egret seen in flight out near Amwell Spring.

“A Common Snipe in a snowy garden today. Oddly enough there was one last year when it snowed. (Can be site faithful in winter).” Richard Broughton

The garden was a lot busier with around 20 Chaffinch, a max of 14 Goldfinch, 8 Greenfinch, 2 Nuthatch, a Coal Tit, Song Thrush, 2 Redwing, 8 Blackbird, a Pied Wagtail, 10 Woodpigeon, 2 Stock Dove, 2 Moorhen, 3 Robin, 2 Great-spotted Woodpecker and the rest.

Mammals: Brown Hare.

4 Redwing photos (courtesy Alan Dawson)

 Starling

 Coal Tit

 Finches on the feeders

 Nuthatch

 Pied Wagtail

 Long-tailed Tit

One of the Crows observing garden activities

Grey Heron

A Grey Heron appeared in a small garden in Sandy Lane yesterday.

"Maybe mistook the trampoline for a pool and the grasses for reeds?"

Almost a vertical take off to leave.

Thank you to the Regan family for the video and photo.

Will it or won't it............snow!

Bright at first then clouding over, 3°, light ESE.

Apparently snow is on the way.......but don't hold your breath!

Little change from Wednesday bird wise. The 2 Stonechat still present and quite a few Fieldfare, a few Redwing, at least 4 Song Thrush and several Pied Wagtail and Meadow Pipit on the hill.

A Little Egret, 2 Jay, a Green Woodpecker and 2 Great-spotted Woodpecker (both drumming), a few Yellowhammer and 2 Reed Bunting.

3 Teal also present out at Lollingdon. Per Tony Williams and a female Blackcap in his garden regularly.

10+ Red Kite over the allotments along Station road today and a Little Egret seen out at Lollingdon. Per Bill Nichols.

A male Blackcap in Phil Dysons garden feeding on Callicarpa berries recently.

100+ Corn Bunting at the roost on Cholsey Marsh and a Sparrowhawk present early this week. Per Ed Munday.

Mammals: Roe Deer.

 Male Blackcap (courtesy Phil Dyson)

 Callicarpa berries (courtesy Phil Dyson)

 Stonechat

 Meadow Pipit

Little Egret (courtesy Bill Nichols, taken with a compact camera)

Brrrrrrrr

A sunny day clouding up later, 4°, light W.

After yesterday’s snow that did not materialise there was quite a hefty frost overnight and stayed cold all day.

Did not venture out, things to do but an eye kept on the garden.

A Merlin flew across Cholsey Marsh this afternoon. Per Bill Lester.

A Raven flew over the garden late afternoon heading north.

The usual stuff in the garden today with 2 Nuthatch, a Treecreeper, a Coal Tit, 4 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Great-spotted Woodpecker, a Song Thrush, 4 Moorhen, 2 Collared Dove, 2 Stock Dove with the male frequently displaying to the female.

Several Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Chaffinch. Both Blue and Great Tit, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Dunnock, Robin and Wren.

Several Redwing in the meadow and 2 Mistle Thrush and a few Fieldfare overhead.

after 50+ years of living in Cholsey Tony Rayner has seen his first Nuthatch and Treecreeper in his garden recently!

A great photo of a Treecreeper by Alan Dawson.

Before the rain & snow

Cloudy, 3°, light S.

2 Stonechat still present on the hill and 2 Raven flew south and approx. an hour later 2 flew north (possibly same 2).

A Yellow-legged Gull in field out at Lollingdon with 6 Lesser Blackback Gull.

Quite a few Fieldfare and Redwing around and several Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer, Pied Wagtail and Meadow Pipit.

2 Kestrel flew west over the hill and being harried by a Red Kite.

A Little Egret also seen out at Lollingdon.

Have noticed a lot of Jackdaw activity around our end of the village with several groups exploring chimney stacks on houses.

A Muntjac Deer feeding next to the garden this afternoon.

 Stonechat

 Raven

 Little Egret

Muntjac Deer

Little Egrets..........again

Cloudy, 11°, light W.

A milder day today and somewhat quiet out.

2 Little Egret seen today, with one close to the village and another approx. 1km away towards Lollingdon.

Apart from those it was just the usual Redwing, Fieldfare, a couple of Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer, Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail.

Grey Wagtail and Little Egret

Overcast with some light rain, 4°, light W.

The Little Egret seen again in the Brook Meadow. Seeing at least 1 Egret every day at the moment in Cholsey.

Back in 1987 I travelled down to Cuckmere Haven in Sussex to see my first Little Egret in the UK. At that time they were quite a scarce bird in the UK.

Since then they have gradually moved north and west into the UK and I am now seeing them almost daily in Cholsey and even from the office window in the Brook Meadow and Cholsey Brook.

There appears to be 3 wintering in the Cholsey area. They have recently bred in Oxfordshire but will they breed here eventually?

Maybe one of the positives of global warming?

20+ Redwing in the meadow this morning and a Grey Heron this afternoon.

A great picture of a Grey Wagtail courtesy Alan Dawson.

 A record shot of the Egret and Heron in the meadow

Winter Thrushes

Sunny with variable cloud, 2°, light NNW.

A pair of Bullfinch feeding on berries in the Millennium Wood and then not much else until Lollingdon.

A single bird heard calling several times but not seen flying over. My gut instinct said Grey Plover but as I did not see the bird enough said.

A Raven flew over the hill heading towards the village and a Little Egret seen.

Still plenty of “winter thrushes” around but widely distributed, 20+ Skylark, good numbers of Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail feeding alongside the sheep and 2 Mistle Thrush.

Mammals: Roe Deer.

"Winter Thrushes". Fieldfare & Redwing

A different view of a Kestrel